ROME, Ga. — Gov. Brian Kemp made a stop in Floyd County, Wednesday, to tour the temporary units set up in the county to help treat COVID-19 patients.
The temporary medical pods at Floyd Medical Center can house 20 beds to treat non-critical COVID-19 patients. Just feet away, another 100-bed temporary unit is set up in the parking deck.
Kemp, along with staff and local leaders, toured both facilities.
RELATED: Gov. Kemp: New mobile medical unit to be erected in Hall County, as COVID-19 cases tick upward
At the Wednesday morning news conference, Kemp called the units a great asset to Georgia, to help patients and protect healthcare workers.
Back in early March, a 46-year-old woman, who was being treated at the Floyd Medical Center with flu-like symptoms, tested positive for Covid-19. Because of that, 20 hospital employees who were exposed to the woman had to self-quarantine.
"Really shows how forward-thinking this group has been and, quite honestly, how forward-thinking our state has been," he said.
But Kemp, who called the pods innovative, said though they are crucial right now, they could prove helpful once the pandemic has ended.
"They are also going to be valuable for us down the road in the future potential weather events," he said, noting that the units could be used at other hospitals, and may have helped Grady Hospital back when they had a major water main break in December.
Photos: Gov. Kemp tours temporary medical units at Floyd Medical Center
The temporary medical units in Floyd County are the latest to spring up in during the state's fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Similar units were also erected early in Dougherty County - an immediate hot spot for the virus in the state - and at the Georgia World Congress Center. Another unit was also set up in Hall County, which is emerging as another area for high virus activity.
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